Washer



Jan. 30, '1934- F, w, CUTLER 1,944,876

' WASHER Filed Sept. 5, 1929 cluclnactctnn bij Patented Jan. 30, 1934Food Machinery Corporation, SanJose, Calif., a corporation of Delaware4l n vApplication'September 3, 1929 Serial No.39v0,053

My invention vrelates towashers in general,

andparticularly to being to provide'a washers for fruit,the object cheapand satisfactory `de-.y

vice for removingnthe spray residue and kother 5 foreign matter from thefruit.

Heretofore there have been two forms of washers in general use for thatpurpose, one'v in whichv the fruit is submerged in a' treating liquid,Iand esented to an overhead spray. l'

ffhead receptacles 7 and' 8."

one in which it is pr In the former there has not been sufficient agi`in the liquid to accomplish' and in the latter the lfruit has not beencontinually subject tov the Washing tation of the fruit thoroughWashing,

liquid which has been .directed upon the fruit in vseparated streams lorjets.` In the spraying( devices this separationv ofthe jets has'resulted in a very large machine.

In the present device I subject the fruit to a treating liquid directedthereon from above,

like Vthe usual spray machine, but differentiated fact that in mydevicej'the therefrom by ,the

liquid is notdirected yupon the fruit in'separated streams or jets, b

ut continually as thev )fruit passes through the device. Thus my ydevicecombines the continuous `action found in the"pre Vious .immersiondevices with the desirable impact of the liquid upon the fruitfound: linthe!A A stationaryand oscillating bar type, Well yknown previous spraydevices.

ing drawing, which for Letters Patent, indicating like Vvpa viewsthereof, and in which:

Fig.f1 isa plan cover removed therefrom,` and not showing'the Y y yvention-. -The fruitv is fed thereupon by 'a continuous belt conveyor15, and atr the discharge conveyor therein.

.'Fig. 2 is a sectional. longitudinal elevation-Y; l

end of the. device it is-depositedv upon grader, not shown inthe drawithereof. i

like characters of reference rts throughout ,thel several View of my`Vdevice 'with 'the Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrammaticgfviewsof ,the

Weir.

Fig. 5 is a section upon line 5-5 able, and also 'divided by'a suitableconveyor 'into washing chambers late the liquids used through. said'washing and sumps; ,means to circu chambers and their respective sumps,delivering the liquid in a stream of great volume into' said Washingchambers,

unspaced, unrelated, and continually changing and there breaking it upinto spray streams, which spray streams are directed upon the fruit.

Where a chemie a1 nquid is used 1:01 remove" asshovvn in` Fig. 2.

' the 'orchardfspray residue, a rinsing in, clear water mustbe used toentirely clean the fruit,

larid in thejdrawing my device is' illustrated as K' using tw'o,litniicls a chemical liquid and clear water.' For this purpose theround bottomed portion' o'fthetank is divided by a partition 4 of saidsumps being providedvvith pumping devices f orlr'ernoving yliquidtherefrom and discharging it.. into over- Conveniently such pumpingdevices may be a helical impeller 9 Within .atube l0 upon the bottom ofthe tank and in communication with its respectivev sump,

pumping device with the re receptacle, asv shown at 11.

A` conduit connects the spective overhead Irnmediatelyabove the sumps 5and 6 `is positioned a! fruit conveyor 12, which conveyor divides thesumps` from their respective washing vchambers 13'jand 14. Any suitabletype of conveyor may be used, but itis desirable that it bc of the typethat rolls and lturns the fruit thereupon as lthe fruit passes alongthrough the washing chambers, for the purpose of thus presenting allportionsof the fruitsurface to the wash- 8 ing liquid falling thereuponfrom above. .The

conveyor shown in the drawing is of they alternate to the art, andtherefore not described or shown conveyor are also Well known toythe'art, vand since they are no portion of ,the `present invention theyhave been omitted from the drawing. The conveyonhowever, is positionedin a novel manner. that con- 9 stitutes one. of the important`featuresofr` my ina I fruit ng. In .practice in fruit packing plantsthe feedv conveyor 15 ismuch lower than the graden and therefore itisdesirable that the conveyor use dlto carry the fruitthrough the Washerbe of such atype that itmay be'in- 1 .clined 'so as to carry `the fruitfrom the' level of the-feed conveyorlto the level of the grader withoutusing an elevator for'that purpose.` This the' type of conveyorillustrated accomplishessatisfactorlally.l Also-thistype of conveyor maybe constructed as a continuous conveyorvthroughout the entire length ofthedev'ce, thus avoiding the transferring'ofy the fruit from o vother asthe fruit passesfrorri to another'in the washer.

ne'conveyor to anone con'ipartment` ing liquid of great volume and of awidth equal' to the entire width of the washing chamber is 'deliveredinto said chamber above the fruit upon the conveyor below. This streamof "liquid is Ito be broken up into a plurality of streams thatv shallilll the washing chamber and fall upon the fruit below like a heavy rainor inundation. To-

accomplish this I provide paddle wheels adjacent the overheadreceptacles upon which the stream of liquid from the weir falls. Saidpaddle wheels are formed of a core or drum 17 rotatably mounted in thewashing chamber, and having a plurality of radial lingers 18 thereupon.These fingers in passing 'through the entering stream of liquid from theweir break'it up into a multiciplity oi streams that completely llthewashing chamber and fall upon the fruit like a heavy inun'dation, asshownin Fig. 2. The fruit is thus subjected to a treatmentr thatcombines the thoroughness of immersion with the impact feature ofspray,-y

ing. The best possible results pinjwashing and clensing the fruit arethus obtained. j

To prevent loss of liquid at the point of entrance of the fruit Iprovide a deflector19projecting beneath the paddle'whe'el, and also ayieldable apron 20 adapted to contact'with the fruit j asit passes andturn the liquid into the washing chamber and away from the entrancepassageway'for the fruit, as shown in Figure 2.

The rear-wall 21 of the overhead receptacle 'l forms also the front wallof the washing chamber 14. It may be conveniently inclined towards saidwashing chamber as shown in Fig. 2 so as tov direct the liquid thereinaway from the succeed-f ing washing chamber 13. An apronv 22, similar toapron 20 heretofore described ispositioned at the point where the fruitissues yfrom washing chamber 14. to prevent the liquid in washingchamber 13 from passing into washing cham,-

ber 14.

The overhead receptacle 'I is constructed snnilarlyr to overheadreceptacle- 8, witha weir and adjacent paddle wheel exactly similarto-those of the receptacle 8. Also a leilectc`zvr'23y beneath the paddlewheel in'washing chamber" 13 turns the liquid therein away from washingchamber 14.

One feature of my device is the arrangement oi' the wall 21, deiiector23, and partition 4. From f Fig. 2' it'will beseen that there isconsiderable space between wall 21 and deflector 23,' and that partition4 is positioned intermediate thev wall and the deilector and beneath thesame. By this arrangement all intermingling of the liquids inthe'washing chambers 13 and 14 is eifectually ics eliminated. l i

The pump devices and the paddle wheels may .be driven by anysuitable'and convenient means,

that-'shown being'a continuous belt 24 mounted `uporrpulleys upon thepump devices and upon the l paddle wheels, togetherwith idler pulleys todirect This for the reason that it is liquid and at the same timedistribute the liquid uniformly over the area oi the conveyor.

If the angle of approach of the liquid to the paddle wheel was the samefor both a long and a short washing chamber, one or the other would notbe served with a uniform'distribution of the liquid.

To obtain uniform distribution for any length Y of Washing chamber Iprovide a visor or deflector 30 adjacent the v weir 16, andsubstantially vertically adjustable in relation thereto. A convenientmanner of accomplishing the adjustment of said deilector is to providethe same with v-cleets 3l at the ends thereof immediately adjacent thetank sides, and securing said cleets to said tank sides by means ofscrews.

When a short washing chamber is used said deector 3,1 is placed near thetop of the wier 16, as shown in Fig. 3. As there shown this directs theliquldtowards the paddle wheel atsuch an angle as to be substantiallytangential to the path of the movement of the ngers 18 as they contactwith the stream of liquid. YThus the liquid is thrown forwardsubstantially in .the direction of the horizontal arrow of Fig. 3, andfalls quickly downward as shown in said ilgure.

When along washing ,chamber is used said deflector is lowered to aposition such as that shown in Fig. 4. 'I'hus lthe liquid is deliveredto the paddle wheel at such an angle as to be met by the ilngers andgiven a decidedly upward 'or vertical direction, as shown by thevertical arrow of Fig. 4, resulting in a longer substantially horizontalmovement of the spraystreams.

By such adjustment an even distribution of the liquid may be obtained inany length of washing chamber.

l My invention may `be'made oi any size, and constructed of anymaterials deemed convenient and suitable, and while I have illustratedand described a form of construction and arrangement of parts founddesirable in materializing my invention, I wish to include in thisapplication said conveying means for discharging a sheet of liquidtheretoward, a wheel disposed to rotate about a horizontal axis andprovided with a plurality of outwardly projecting spaced lingersdisposed to impinge against said sheet of liquid to causea shower ofliquid upon articlesbeing conveyed through the housing, and means foring said Wheel.

2. In a washing apparatus, a houslngrmeans for conveying articlestherethough, a weir above drlvsaid conveying means, means fordischarging liquid over said weir whereby it falls by gravity in v14()the form of a sheet toward said conveying means, a. wheel 4rotatableabout a horizontal axis parallel to said weir and provided with aplurality of outwardly projecting spaced ilngers disposed to. impingeagainst said liquid sheet, and means for 145 driving said wheel to causea shower of liquid upon articles being conveyed through the housing.

3. In a washing apparatus, a housing, means for conveying articlestherethrough, a trough horizontally disposed above said conveying means;means for supplying liquid to said trough to cause it to overiiow anupper edge thereof and fall toward said conveying vmeans in a sheet, awheel disposed to rotate about a horizontal axis parallel to said troughedge, said wheel being provided With a plurality of outwardly projectingspaced fingers disposed to impinge against said sheet of liquid toshower -the liquid upon articles being conveyed through the housing, andmeans for driving said wheel.

4. In a washing apparatus, a housing, means for conveying articlestherethrough, means above said conveying means for discharging a sheetof liquid theretoward, a paddle wheel rotatable about a horizontal axisand having paddles disposed to impinge against the sheet of liquid,means for driving said paddle Wheel to cause a shower of liquid uponarticles being conveyed through the housing, and adjustable deflectingmeans disposed to receive the liquid from said discharging means anddirect it to the paddle wheel.

5. In a washing apparatus, a housing, means for conveying articlestherethrough, a Weir above said conveying means, means for dischargingliquid over said Weir whereby it falls by gravity toward said conveyingmeans, an adjustable delector disposed in the path of liquid fallingfrom the Weir, a Apaddle wheel rotatable about a horizontal axis andhaving paddles disposed to impinge against the liquid deected by saiddeflector, and means for driving said paddle wheel to cause a `showerofliquid upon articles being conveyed through the housing.

6. In a Washing apparatus, a housing, means for conveying articlestherethrough, a horizontally disposed trough arranged above saidconveying means, means for supplying liquid to said trough to cause itto overow an edge thereof, an inclined adjustable deflecting surfacedisposed beneath the edge of the trough to receive the liquid overowingtherefrom, a paddle wheel rotatable about an axis parallel to saidtrough edge and having paddles disposed to impinge against the liquiddeflected by said deflecting surface, and means for driving said paddlewheel to cause a shower of liquid upon articles being conveyed throughthe housing.

'7. In a fruit Washing apparatus, a housing, means for conveying fruittherethrough, a sump below said conveying means, a horizontally disposedtrough arranged above said conveying means, means for supplying liquidcontinuously from said sump to said trough to overow an edge thereof, amember rotatable about an axis parallel to said trough edge and havingperipheral means adapted to intercept the liquid overflowing from thetrough and convert it into a shower and project it horizontally over thefruit moving on said conveyor.

8. In a fruit washing machine, a housing, means for conveying fruittherethrough, a sump below said conveying means, a horizontally disposedtrough arranged above said conveying means and having a Widthsubstantially equal to said conveying means, means for supplying liquidcontinuously from said sump to said trough to overflow an edge thereoffor its entire width, a member rotatable about an axis parallel to saidtrough edge and of substantially the width of said edge and havingperipheral means adapted to intercept the liquid overflowing over saidtrough edge and convert it into a shower and project it horizontallyover the fruit moving on ,said conveyor.

FRANK W. CUTLER.

